Sorting out my shed WiP

[garno]

Thought I would post this WiP exclusively here, Well the first images have been posted on a different site before I moved over here.

My shed is not the biggest one out there and due to poor planning at the beginning I have found I now have no room, I know with better planning I could make it into a decent work place. As a lot of you will already be aware of I have some nasty respiratory problems, and as such even doing mundane things can take me a lot longer to do than the average person, that is why I need to get it right this time around.



























My plan is to clear space underneath and put in drawers throughout (under the worktop) I also plan to remove everything from the walls and have shallow cupboards going all around, I have already replaced the tablesaw and got rid of the big clunky one with https://www.screwfix.com/p/evolution-r2 ... 230v/205jp as it folds up saving me masses of space, I have also removed the racking. Lots more to do so expect more pics soon. I will be putting the Mitresaw, Bandsaw, P/T, Belt sander and router table on small tables/cabinets with casters so I can easily move them about as I need them. Someone very kindly did some plans for me that were to scale so I know where they would all fit.

Gary

 

[StevieB]

Looks about as tidy as my workspace - I prefer the term 'busy' rather than SWMBO's term of 'dump'

I have found that putting doors on shelves/units makes a real difference to mess/appearance if you can afford the opening space, although with a run of units sliding doors (a la 1960's sideboard) are also possible - even a simply ply door in a runner would work.

 

[Malc2098]

If you're going to have most or all on casters, then I have found that French cleats also help out with storage space on the walls. Stuff can be moved around after it's been put in the first place you thought of.

Shelving units, mine were made out of left over mdf, seem to be more useful than fixed shelves. Cupboards can also be on FCs and can be moved,

 

[garno]

Looks about as tidy as my workspace - I prefer the term 'busy' rather than SWMBO's term of 'dump'

I have found that putting doors on shelves/units makes a real difference to mess/appearance if you can afford the opening space, although with a run of units sliding doors (a la 1960's sideboard) are also possible - even a simply ply door in a runner would work.

Lol to think I spent hours tidying it up before taking the photo's

Funny enough I have been thinking about sliding doors, I say thinking what I actually mean is someone else thought of it and suggested it to me

I think I will be going down the MDF route and not sure if sliding doors will work, still I have plenty to do before I need to make my mind up on that.

Thank you for your post I appreciate any idea's and will think them all through.

Gary

 

[garno]

If you're going to have most or all on casters, then I have found that French cleats also help out with storage space on the walls. Stuff can be moved around after it's been put in the first place you thought of.

Shelving units, mine were made out of left over mdf, seem to be more useful than fixed shelves. Cupboards can also be on FCs and can be moved,

Thank you very much for your post.

I had no idea what French cleats were until I googled it, I was thinking of mounting the cupboards on batons made from either 2 x 1 or 3 x 1 with 1 at the top and one at the bottom (both inside on the back) I may even be able to get away with just 1 as the cupboards are only going to be 15" high and 12" or so deep and all made out of MDF. The drawers will be about 550mm deep )from front to back) again made from MDF.

Gary

 

[Malc2098]

If you're never going to move the wall cupboards, then mount them as you propose, but if there's a chance that as your workflow develops and they might be better four feet to the right, e.g., then French cleats means you can just shift them over, and what was in that space, can move somewhere else. And there's no unscrewing at all to move anything.

I used left over flooring ply for my French Cleats.

 

[garno]

Starting to make a little progress but feel I was too ambitious thinking it will be completed this side of Christmas, but hey, a little progress is a heck of a lot better than no progress

The images shown above, I posted on another site on 17th August so this little project has taken me 2 months so far and lots of sweat and effort.

My first decision I had to make was to start above or below the worktop, above is to be cupboards whilst below was to be drawers, either choice was going to be a daunting one for me as I had no real clue as to how I should go about making the cupboards (they will be same height going all around the shed), I actually had/have even less idea how to make the drawer units, anyway I have decided to attempt going the cupboard route first.

First thing I did was to remove the racking I had, I was then hit with an absolutely fantastic idea, that was to reuse it and put it under the worktop and "convert" it into drawer units. So I removed everything from underneath the worktop and put it with everything else, in the middle of the floor, I then put the racking underneath. I will say now that the idea was not my finest hour, the effort it would take to convert it into working drawers would be more than just making a fresh unit, at least in my mind.

Then Mrs G tells me that she has spotted an old chest of drawers in a skip, after swapping it with racking under one half of the worktop I knew why it was in a skip, I need to make a bottom drawer for it give it a good sanding change the handles and make do. It may be too small and wobble a bit but until I fathom out how to make cheap drawers myself then I'm stuck with it.

I then restarted where I originally said I would start at. My original thoughts were to make everything out of 18mm ply but due to stupid prices I ended up getting 18mm MDF instead. I got 3 sheets of 18mm MDF and myself and a 75 year old mate attempted to cut it down on my tablesaw (Linked in first post) and wasted about half a sheet before getting it right, we still have 1 more sheet to cut as they were just too heavy and awkward for us. I have made the carcass for the cupboards going across the first wall and have managed to put it up. I have learnt a lot just doing that wall, as to how much I learnt is yet to be seen.









The brackets I have used are hopeless so I have ordered some angle brackets to help with the weight as they started leaning from the top, I put in a temporary on, I should bet the brackets tomorrow, https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1

 

[Mike G]

I know how difficult it is to sort out a small workshop when it's already full of stuff, as my first workshop was about that size. Nice to see you making a start.

 

[Woodbloke]

The brackets I have used are hopeless so I have ordered some angle brackets to help with the weight as they started leaning from the top, I put in a temporary on, I should bet the brackets tomorrow, https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1

As Mike said, good to see some progress. I had a quick shufti at those Amazon brackets and I fear they're not going to be any good either. Those small steel brackets have no bracing section in them and will also bend. See below for some heavy duty brackets from Amazon;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heavy-Duty-Bra ... ty+Bracket

Plenty of selection there to support the considerable weight of those shelves - Rob

Edit - do the brackets on order support the mdf jointing on the shelves at the top (in which case they're fine) or do they replace the white ones as shown (in which case they're not)?

 

[garno]

Thanks Mike.

@ Woodbloke, For now the white brackets are staying where they are, I will replace them when I can afford stronger ones. The "L" brackets on order is really to keep the top from tipping, I will use them to keep the top of the cupboards up against the walls. For each cupboard I will put one on the top and one midway on both the left and right hand side. I think a big mistake I made was to make the cupboards in one section instead of single units because as you rightly pointed out it weighs a lot

Thank you for the link :text-+1:

 

[RogerS]

Thanks Mike.

@ Woodbloke, For now the white brackets are staying where they are, I will replace them when I can afford stronger ones. The "L" brackets on order is really to keep the top from tipping, I will use them to keep the top of the cupboards up against the walls. For each cupboard I will put one on the top and one midway on both the left and right hand side. I think a big mistake I made was to make the cupboards in one section instead of single units because as you rightly pointed out it weighs a lot

Thank you for the link :text-+1:

Gary..I've got some of those twin slot brackets doing nothing. All you need are some uprights. You're very welcome to some of them. FTAGH.

Roger

 

[garno]

just letting you all know I'm still continuing, actually I have little choice but to continue. I honestly have nowhere to work, I have MDF everywhere my floorspace is full until I make the cabinet things to put stuff on. I have been going up there daily and seem to be getting nowhere in fact I think I am going backwards. Managed to get the last of the wall units up today so just need to make doors for them all.

Underneath the worktop is giving me the most stress at the moment, I want to put drawers under the whole area but I honestly do not have any clue how I am going to do it in very small stages (health makes everything very difficult) My thoughts are put in dividers from floor to worktop going to the wall, Then put in melamine shelves, on top of the melamine shelves I will put on melamine drawers, will melamine on melamine be slippery enough to open and close the drawers?

I would of posted more pictures today but had a bit of a hissy fit due to the lack of progress compared to the amount of sheer hard work I have spent on it. Anyway I am not going to give up on it and I will not allow it to beat me grrrr :x

 

[Malc2098]

It won't beat you, G. You will get through this. Slowly, maybe, but you will end up with a nice workshop.

 

[AndyP]

keep at it.

Sounds like you do not want to install runners or drawer slides for the the drawers. I would have thought that melamine will slide, for now, not sure about longevity and how will you stop them coming too far out and tipping contents onto the floor?

 

[sunnybob]

If you already have shelves, doors are just cosmetic, they take time to make and give you not one inch of space. Dump the doors to the very bottom of the "tooit" list.

Take a serious look at your round tubs of junk. Round tubs are the most space eating shapes you could think of.
Bet you could dump AT LEAST 80% of the contents straight in the bin, along with the tubs. everything left will fit into one corner of one drawer until find out you can dump the last 20% as well. :lol:

 

[Mike G]

There is huge merit, Gary, in just plodding on. It isn't a race. Be methodical, and be a bit ruthless as Bob suggests, but more than anything just keep plodding on.

 

[Woodbloke]

keep at it.

Sounds like you do not want to install runners or drawer slides for the the drawers. I would have thought that melamine will slide, for now, not sure about longevity and how will you stop them coming too far out and tipping contents onto the floor?

Agreed, keep at and just 'plod on' as Mike suggests. You will get there! Melamine will definitely 'slide' but if you can get hold of some 'old skool' Formica (not much of it around these days; evilbay?) that's even better.

If you already have shelves, doors are just cosmetic, they take time to make and give you not one inch of space. Dump the doors to the very bottom of the "tooit" list.

Take a serious look at your round tubs of junk. Round tubs are the most space eating shapes you could think of.
Bet you could dump AT LEAST 80% of the contents straight in the bin, along with the tubs. everything left will fit into one corner of one drawer until find out you can dump the last 20% as well. :lol:

Yep and you defo don't need doors, unless you rack out tools etc on the inside. Round tubs are hugely 'space eating' but if you use old coffee jars (or similar) and screw the lids to the underside of a shelf...



...they make useful storage containers of all sorts of stuff. I've had my biscuits in these ones for donkey's years. Old 'baccy tins...



...are also very handy for smaller stuff. Some of these belonged to my dad (who was an avid pipe smoker) and go back to the 60's and 70's - Rob

 

[clogs]

just have alook at this....
could give us all a few ideas.......watched it a couple of times......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epjZnf7e1Ak&t=5s